Last Christmas
by Dancing Melon
Summary: Bella is forced to confront the boy who broke her at an annual Christmas party, but her true love will always be there for her to make everything better. AH, AU, Songfic.


**A/N**: So, I was listening to the Glee Cast version of "Last Christmas", and I thought that I would write a story about it. I wrote this all in one night, and I think it turned out decent, considering it was a spur of the moment thing. Also, I'm not sure if the rating is high enough, but it feels like a T to me rather than an M. If you think it should be bumped up just let me know and I'll do so. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this songfic.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Twilight, or the song "Last Christmas" which has been recorded by far too many artists for me to list. But the version I used was the one sung by the cast of Glee.

* * *

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_

_But the very next day, you gave it away_

It was December nineteenth, a Saturday. Alice, my best friend, was having her annual Christmas party today, the party that everyone in the entire school would be attending. Normally, today would be one of the best days of the year, but today it has been a year since I messed up and he left. He never told me that he was moving, even after we had been lovers for six months.

I had never thought of myself as the type of girl that would give her body away so easily, but James was something else. When I first saw him, I was a freshman, he was a sophomore. He was more mature than I was, with shoulder-length dirty blond hair tied back in a ponytail, dark brown, nearly black eyes, and stubble. None of my guy friends were even close to shaving, and I think some of them had yet to hit puberty.

Don't get me wrong, I heard the rumors. He was really eighteen, he had been held back for three years, he would date a girl until he could sleep with her, then break her heart, but none of that stopped me from finding out what he looked for in a girl. I thought that I, plain old Bella Swan, would be the one for this mysterious boy.

Alice helped me; she used her interest in fashion to give me a makeover from head to toe, essentially making me into everything that James would want. Edward, my closest guy friend, didn't like it. He was the latest bloomer of them all, starting out high school as a scrawny little thing with a high-pitched voice. But he voiced his opinion to me many, many times, telling me that I deserved so much better, that I shouldn't change myself for anyone, that I was already beautiful.

It's a shame that I didn't believe him back then, when it mattered.

By homecoming that year I was ready, his dark eyes watching me dance with my friends in my short, hip-hugging dress, my chestnut hair gleaming and cascading down my back. By Alice's party, I stole glances at him, while his gaze made its way to my cleavage-baring shirt, putting all I had on display. By Spring break, he had my phone number and would send me flirty texts that I would oh-so-eagerly respond to. By June, he would take me on fancy dinner dates, resting his calloused fingers on my bare thigh under my skirts. By July, things had escalated to an intense physical relationship.

Charlie disapproved from the second that James showed up on the doorstep to pick me up for our first date. Maybe it was his long, greasy, rarely-brushed hair. Maybe it was his studded leather jacket, or his ear and eyebrow piercings, or his facial hair that was never completely gone. Or maybe it was the fact that as I came down the stairs in a light green summer dress, he looked at me like I was a piece of meat. My father's feelings about James taught me how to lie with precision and sneak out of my house late at night without him suspecting a thing.

Our first time was dreadful; he was too rough with my virgin body, and I had cried. After he finished he held me close that night, telling me that it would get better with time. The pain went away at least, even though I still failed to understand how sex was pleasurable, but I never told this to James. We starting going out less and started screwing more, but school was starting back up by this time so I didn't mind.

I didn't notice how much time I had spent away from Edward by September of my sophomore year, but one look at him emphasized how long it had truly been. I even had to go up and ask him if he really was who I thought. He laughed at me, a deeper, more mature sound. He had to have grown at least a foot and a half since last year, and boy, did he get gorgeous. Edward was no longer a twig; he had some nice muscles on his arms, his chest, and probably his legs and stomach as well. He had let his hair grow out from his old buzz cut, so it hung casually in front of his eyes, his amazing green eyes.

I still didn't see Edward as much as I saw my other friends – I think he was still uncomfortable with James, but I couldn't say. Whenever we did talk, we never brought him up, probably for the better. I didn't want his stubborn judgments to ruin our friendship.

It's too bad that his instincts about James were right.

_This year, to save me from tears_

_I'll give it to someone special_

I looked myself over in the mirror again, finally satisfied with my appearance. My curls were shiny and bouncy, stopping just shy of my shoulder blades. I wore light make-up, a bit of brown and green on my lids, a little eyeliner, lightly-mascaraed eye lashes, and lipstick that matched the soft pink color of my lips. The dress I was wearing was emerald green and fairly conservative; it covered my chest while exposing my back, and cut off just above my knees. I was wearing a pair of black patent heels that Alice had talked me into buying, and my only accessory was a heart-shaped, silver necklace with a small diamond in the center of it. I had gotten as a gift for my birthday this year.

Alice had informed me a few days ago that James had moved back to Forks, and would most likely be crashing the party to talk to me. It was a mystery to me how she could obtain all of this information, but she was never wrong about these things. I'll admit that I was a bit nervous, because the last time I talked to him I had put everything on the line only to be completely blown off and abandoned. This year, though, things would be different. I refused to let him take advantage of me again. This year, I was stronger than that and had a better head on my shoulders.

Charlie was working late at the station tonight, although being the police chief in a small town like this required hardly any work, but he knew where I would be. I grabbed my jacket, my purse, and my keys and went to start my ancient red truck. My car was older than I was, but it still ran wonderfully if I stayed under fifty miles per hour. I gave it a few minutes to warm up, the heat on full blast, and then I backed out of the driveway to make the short trip to Alice's house.

I didn't have to pay much attention to the road, even if it was dark outside and snowing; I could make this trip with my eyes closed. I was at Alice's house at least every other day, and I remember that the time we spent together somehow increased after James left me.

Speaking of him, my eyes narrowed as I saw that his cherished black Mustang was already parked at her house. I settled for a spot a decent distance away from it, and as I walked past it, I "accidentally" dragged my key across his door. I smirked, and continued to the doorway as my heels clacked against the pavement. The door was unlocked, not surprising, and the party was already getting into full swing, also not surprising. I hung up my coat in the closet, a space reserved for "VIP" guests such as myself, and proceeded into the kitchen where I knew I would find Alice.

There she was, arranging plates of food to perfection. Her dark, nearly black hair wasn't spiking out in every direction as it normally did; instead it was flipped underneath. She was wearing a multicolored dress with an asymmetrical pattern, something I could never pull off, with red shoes that matched mine since we had bought them together. The kitchen was closed off from all other rooms in the house, so she was all alone which she had to be grateful for.

"Need any help there?" I asked, alerting her to my presence.

"Bella!" she exclaimed, dropping what she was doing as she ran over to hug me. "I wasn't sure that you were going to come tonight."

"Oh, Alice, I wouldn't miss this night just because of him," I assured her, hugging her back.

"I'm glad, I couldn't make it through this night without you! Could you bring some of these dishes into the dining room for me?"

"Of course!" There were many plates and bowls of finger foods scattered across the kitchen, so I grabbed one in each hand and pushed my way through the other door to the dining room table, making a few trips until everything was available to the party guests.

Alice hooked her arm in mine and smiled at me, escorting me into the living room that was fashioned into a casual teen hangout. Christmas music was playing in the background, but it was quiet enough for a conversation to be held, but loud enough so no one could eavesdrop. People were drinking, not alcoholic beverages as Alice wouldn't allow it, chatting, and appeared to be having a good time. This party was always laid back compared to other teen parties, which is probably why everyone loved it so much and never failed to show up.

_Once bitten and twice shy_

_I keep my distance, but you still catch my eye_

Then, I spotted him standing in the corner of the room, looking straight into my eyes. Even from here I could see the desire for my body in his vicious eyes as they scanned my figure. His outer appearance was much cleaner than it was the last time I saw him; his hair was tamed, his face shaved, his clothes unwrinkled.

To anyone else, they would see a normal young man, and I'll admit it, he certainly looked like he was a better person. But you should never judge a book by its cover, and that saying certainly applied to this case. I gave up on trying to change James a long time ago, finally realizing that my actions would never work.

"Hey, Bella, are you going to be alright?"

Alice had noticed my staring before I did, so I averted my glance to her worried slate blue eyes and nodded. "Yeah, Alice, I'll be okay." I had made a promise to myself to stay away from him whenever it was possible, and most of all to not be captivated by his tricks again.

_Tell me baby, do you recognize me?_

_Well, it's been a year, it doesn't surprise me_

I looked back over at James, and his eyes locked with mine. He gave me a confused look, probably because I was so much different than I was a year ago. My make-up was lighter, my clothes covered more of me, and I stood up straighter after boosting my self-esteem. He smiled and waved at me, but I just turned back to Alice, pushing him to the back of my mind.

She was waving over Edward and Jasper, who she had a huge crush on but would never admit it, and they happily strolled over to us. I knew a fact that Jasper liked Alice, too, but they were both too stubborn to do anything about it. He was wearing a red button up shirt, a classic Christmas color of course, and dark denim jeans that I knew Alice would approve of. He gave me a casual grin, but his entire face lit up when he looked down at Alice, which was adorable.

While Jasper honestly looked good, Edward was a masterpiece compared to him. His reddish-brown hair was pushed out of his brilliant eyes, which were dancing with excitement. His shirt was the same style as Jasper's, but it was white and was not tucked into his jeans. A few buttons were open at the top, showing a small amount of his perfectly sculpted chest. He was smiling brightly at me, his trademark look that made me weak at the knees.

"Bella," he always said my name with such adoration; I loved it, "You look amazing."

Cue the blush: the reason why I never needed to add such a product to my small collection of make-up. "Thank you. I could say the same for you," I complimented, tracing his bicep with my hand. I could feel James glaring at Edward, but I couldn't make myself care. He didn't own me anymore.

_Happy Christmas_

_I wrapped it up and sent it_

_With a note saying "I love you", I meant it_

Last year at this party, I had just arrived with James when we kissed under the mistletoe, which Alice hid in a different place every year. It was chaste and simple, and made me believe that he had more feelings for me than I had given him credit for. I uttered three words to him, "I love you," but then he stared at me confused, mumbled something about leaving, then stormed out of the house.

I let my heart on display, admitting my feelings for him that I had started developing since I first saw him. I remember sinking to the floor, tears burning in my eyes. I remember someone picking me up and taking me upstairs, after permission from Alice of course. Edward, my beautiful, selfless, knight in shining armor held me that night while I cried.

That's when I starting thinking; I didn't really loved James, did I? I sure thought I did at the time, but I couldn't bring myself to text him or call him, begging him to come back to me. It was like I didn't want him to come back, and that really confused me.

What confused me more is the new feelings I starting getting whenever I was around Edward. He starting hanging out with me a lot after James moved. I appreciated his company, especially when I confided in him about every detail about that relationship. Edward never judged me; he just listened, and he let me cry into his chest when I broke down. He had always been an excellent friend to me, but now when he was around, butterflies would fill my stomach and I'd feel sparks running through my veins whenever we touched, no matter how innocent.

_Now I know what a fool I've been_

_But if you kissed me now, I know you'd fool me again_

I looked over at him again, and he starts walking over to me. Panic suddenly erupted inside of me. I didn't plan what I would say or do if James started talking to me. I was so, so terrified that I would fall under his spell again, even if I tried to resist. I glanced up at Edward, and he was glaring daggers at him. Knowing James, of course, he would pay him no mind as he always had. I felt an arm snake around my waist, and the fluttering of my heart assured me that it was Edward's touch.

"Bella," his voice was rough, as it always was, "You look different."

I kept my face in what I hoped was a calm expression, even though my pulse was racing. "James. So do you."

He smirked, that oh-so familiar smirk. It was his poor excuse for a smile, and something I used to find attractive. "Still as sexy as ever, though." His tone dripped with lust, and he ran a finger down my cheek. I flinched away from his touch, the feeling burning into my skin.

"Don't touch her," Edward hissed dangerously. The look on his face was incredibly ferocious, and it almost scared me.

"Stay out of this, Masen," James didn't sound nearly as scary, "This is between me and Bella."

Alice and Jasper were long gone, and I wished that they were here to help defend me. I knew Edward was more than enough, but I didn't want him to lose his temper. His grip on my waist tightened as he tried to stay calm for my sake.

"What do you want, James?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from wavering.

He stared at my lips as I spoke, and that was a bad sign. I knew that he was going to try to kiss me, thinking he could sway my emotions by making it as sweet and loving as possible. It was a trick that had worked too many times before, and I couldn't let it happen again. I moved a little closer to Edward, which made me feel much more at ease. His hand rubbed my waist reassuringly, telling me silently that everything was going to be okay.

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_

_But the very next day, you gave it away_

_This year, to save me from tears_

_I'll give it to someone special_

"Babe, I messed up. I shouldn't have run out on you last year, and I didn't even tell you I was moving. Truth is, I love you too," he said confidently, reaching out to touch my shoulder.

I smacked his hand away; I was steaming now. "How dare you tell me that!" I shrieked, "You don't love me, you never have." Angry tears boiled in my eyes. "You used me, the entire time you were with me, you heartless bastard!"

He growled, taking one step closer to me as I took one back. "How dare you say that to me. I gave you everything you worthless bitch." He took another step in my direction, and this time I stood my ground. Edward wrapped his other arm around me, ready to yank me out of the way if it became necessary. "You wouldn't know what love is if I wasn't around to show you."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Oh please, James. You wouldn't know love if it came up behind you and bit you in the ass."

That struck a cord in him and he raised his fist, but lowered it back down. He knew that he would be screwed over if he hit me, so he walked away to calm down before confronting me again. Edward and I let out a shared sigh of relief, and I smiled up at him. He still looked angry, but one look at my face softened his expression. I was glad that he had stayed out of my argument with James, for the most part, because Edward intervening would have just made things worse. I shifted in his grasp and threw my arms around his neck as a thank you.

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_

_But the very next day, you gave it away_

_This year, to save me from tears_

_I'll give it to someone special_

The birthday I had after James left, my seventeenth, was one of the best I have had. My sixteenth birthday was spent with him, and we just had an extra round of sex. It was nothing too special, but my seventeenth was really something. Edward had picked me up that Sunday afternoon, refusing to tell me where we were going. First we went over to Alice's house, where she had arranged a surprise party with our closest friends. We ate a fabulous Italian dinner, and thankfully I received no presents since my friends knew how I felt about them.

It was over surprisingly early, knowing Alice, and I was a bit suspicious. Edward turned the opposite way from her driveway, even further from my house, but he wouldn't answer my persistent questions about where we were going. I eventually gave up, but then we had apparently arrived, a parking lot that was surrounded by trees.

Edward led me through a trail, helping me over anything that would trip me which I was grateful for, and after about ten minutes of walking we reached a meadow abundant with multicolored wildflowers. I had gasped at their beauty, and Edward had the most adorable look on his face. It was torn between excitement and nerves, and it had made me laugh.

We sat down in the very middle of the field, and Edward pulled out a neatly wrapped, rectangular box. I cocked my eyebrow, as I thought he knew about my opinion on gifts, but he gave it to me anyway. I opened it to reveal a jewelry box, and inside was the most beautiful necklace: it had a silver chain and a simple heart dangling from it, with a small diamond attached to the point. Edward put it on me, and I cried as I hugged him and thanked him. It was the most gorgeous thing I had ever received, and it touched me greatly.

I pulled away after a minute, and our eyes locked. I couldn't explain why, but I had the strongest urge to kiss him, so I did. He kissed me back, thankfully, and fireworks exploded in my body. I never had this feeling with James, or anyone for that matter. But as nice as it was, it made me nervous, and we both pulled away and blushed tremendously.

We haven't kissed since, but nothing had changed in our friendship. But I did wear that necklace all the time.

_A crowded room, friends with tired eyes_

_I'm hiding from you, and your soul of ice_

After I pulled away from Edward, we decided to go talk to some other people to keep away from James for as long as possible. We never stayed with anyone for too long. We just made easy small talk about school and upcoming vacations, easy topics.

We circled the crowd once, noticing that a few people were already falling from their party high. We also agreed on a lot of things about our classmates: Lauren was a total bitch, Mike needs to ask out Jessica already, and Rosalie, Jasper's twin sister, needs to stop teasing Alice's older brother Emmett and admit her true feelings for him.

"You know, I haven't seen Alice or Jasper for a really long time," I mentioned after a while, when James was looking at me like he was going to come over again.

Edward thought for a moment before responding, "I haven't either, now that you mention it."

A thought crept into my mind: maybe they had finally admitted their feelings to each other, and were expressing their affections in a more private environment. Knowing Alice as well as I did, I knew exactly where she might be.

"Here, come with me." I grabbed Edward's hand and started giggling like a school girl. I really hope that I was right.

"Where are we –" I shushed him and put my finger to his lips. They felt so soft, but I didn't have time to marvel in Edward's perfection right now. I took his hand in my own again and led him quietly to the kitchen, pushing the door open just a crack so we could both peer inside.

Yes! My instincts were on the money; there they were, making out in the kitchen. Jasper had Alice sitting up on the counter top and she was fingering his hair. Edward and I grinned at each other, happy that our best friends had finally given in, and we left them to their privacy, strolling back into the main room.

"It's about time!" Edward exclaimed, still smiling.

I nodded in agreement. "I know! They've liked each other for so long," I remarked.

"They're not the only ones." He muttered this so quietly that I wasn't sure that I had heard him correctly. I blushed, for reasons unknown to me, and I pretended I didn't hear him. I wanted to say that I wasn't sure who he was talking about, but I knew exactly what he meant.

I wanted to continue on this subject, but James started making his way over to me for the second time that night.

_My god, I thought you were someone to rely on_

_Me, I guess I was a shoulder to cry on_

The first month of our relationship was perfect – more than anything I could ever ask for. I trusted James with my secrets, my heart, even my life. I was a little hesitant when he first asked me if I would sleep with him, but he had done such a great job building a wall of trust that I easily gave in.

It was after that first time that things really started to turn sour, but I wouldn't tell anyone but Edward that. One time I tried to talk to him about an ugly argument that I had with my father, but he just said to forget about it and started whining about having blue balls. I didn't want him to be in pain, so I let him relieve his symptoms by sleeping with me.

I stopped asking him for anything after that, no matter how much he asked of me. I knew I wouldn't get anything from him except sex, but I believed that it was just his way of expressing his appreciation for me. He was never very good with words, so it seemed like a reasonable explanation back then.

_A face on a lover with a fire in his heart_

_A man undercover but you tore me apart_

_Now I've found a real love, you'll never fool me again_

His eyes, those dark, dark dirt-colored eyes, held even more lust for my body. Edward held me close again, probably acting purely on instinct, and I was glad he did. I crossed my arms and let James approach me, but I shifted every time he tried to touch me. Eventually he grunted in frustration and gave up.

"Look babe, I'm sorry I overreacted earlier," he said, sounding anything but sorry. "But I just miss you so much. You were the best sex I ever had."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward flinch at his words. He was brought up by very conservative parents, so love-making was an awkward topic for him to talk about. It was very sweet, but also strange since he was a teenage boy after all.

"That's all you ever wanted me for," I told him darkly. This actually did make me cry, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I was still mad at myself for giving up my virginity to someone like him. "I am never going back to you James."

His face hardened even more so, and his eyes narrowed. "Fine," he spat, "But you don't know how much you miss me."

I smirked at him this time, tears still streaming, "Trust me, I do know: Not. At. All," I retorted, "I've found someone else now, someone that actually cares about more than just my body." I stole a quick look at Edward, who stared at me in dazed confusion, before continuing, "I'm done with you. Get out."

The venom in my tone was enough to even scare James, and he tore out of the room, flushed in rejection. Relief flooded my body, and I felt lighter, like I could fly. A huge smile coated my face, and I turned to Edward who had suddenly released me.

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_

_But the very next day, you gave it away_

The look he gave me was something I had never seen from him before. I couldn't quite figure out what it was. His green eyes looked darker, closer to the color of my dress than the trees, and his lip quivered a bit.

"Edward … what is it?" I asked guardedly. He was really scaring me now.

He took a deep breath, running a hand through his messy hair. "I … Bella … who did you mean when you said you found someone else?"

_This year, to save me from tears_

_I'll give it to someone special_

I smiled warmly at him, bringing my arms up to his neck. "Who do you think I meant, silly?"

He blushed – adorable – and couldn't meet my eyes with his own. "Um … were you talking about … me?" His voice softened with each word until he was whispering. I giggled and brought him closer into a hug.

"Yes, Edward, I meant you," I whispered into his ear, feeling the heat rising to my own face.

_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart_

_But the very next day, you gave it away_

Edward pushed me away, holding onto my shoulders as he now looked me straight in the eyes. "Really?" he asked, his eyes wide.

I nodded, the words unable to form themselves in my throat. He beamed like a child opening Christmas presents, but quickly regained control of his emotions.

"Well, in that case ..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar leafy object, and I giggled and shook my head. "Alice?" I inquired.

"Yeah." Edward blushed again. "Always the matchmaker."

In good Christmas tradition he held it above our heads and began to lean down, his eyelids fluttering shut. My heart started beating rapidly as he inched closer to my mouth, and I followed his lead. His lips met mine, and my arms found their way to his neck again. He stopped caring about the mistletoe and snaked his arms around my waist, bringing me into his body. This time, I was ready for the surge of spectacular feelings that came when our lips connected, but I had to tell him something so I pulled away to a disappointed Edward.

_This year, to save me from tears_

_I'll give it to someone special_

"Edward, I love you," I confessed, "It's always been you."

He sighed contently and rested his forehead against mine. "Oh Bella, I've wanted to hear that for so long. I love you too, I've loved you for so long."

Our lips met again, and this time we knew better than to stop.

_Give you my heart ..._

_

* * *

_**A/N**: Well, I sure hope you liked it. I just wanted to write a little holiday story. I hope you have a good holiday, whatever you celebrate, and please review!


End file.
